Learn how to speak like an Arsenal fan with our beginner’s guide

Arsenal fans. Love them or hate them, there’s no denying that they’re a breed apart.

Many Gooners will admit themselves that a great number of their fellow supporters are…erratic in their mood swings. Whenever their team wins, they are a class apart and Arsene Wenger is a genius. But lose and they’re in total disarray and their veteran French manager is public enemy number one.

And that’s not even touching upon their eagerness to vote in online and television polls like they’re going out of fashion.

Such is the omnipresence of the Emirates faithful on social media that the younger contingent of their fanbase have developed their own language and stock phrases for various situations. Many of other allegiances – and let’s face it, advancing years – fail to comprehend what the yuts are actually saying.

With this in mind, we decided we’d help out with our own brief glossary…

Elite

Dictionary definition: The richest, most powerful, best-educated, or best-trained group in a society.

Arsenal fan usage: A similar meaning to the above, ‘elite’ is often used to describe excellence in quality or performance. It is most commonly paired with ‘mentality’ to suggest that Arsenal players/fans have a rarified and demanding standard.

Example:

https://twitter.com/olivier9iroud/status/782890633203748865

Poverty

Dictionary definition: A lack of something or when the quality of something is extremely low.

Arsenal fan usage: This is perhaps best described as the polar opposite to ‘elite’. If someone is a ‘poverty player’ or plays for a ‘poverty club’, chances are it’s because they have a ‘poverty mentality’. Arsenal are not a ‘poverty club’.

Example:

https://twitter.com/VintageCazorla/status/752827829792956416

Peasant

Dictionary definition: A person who owns or rents a small piece of land and grows crops, keeps animals, etc. on it, especially one who has a low income, very little education and a low social position.

Arsenal fan usage: Similar to ‘poverty’, but if anything it’s even harsher. If you’re a ‘peasant’, you aren’t worth consideration and are the worst of the worst. Jamie Vardy is a peasant for staying at a poverty club like Leicester because he hasn’t got an elite mentality.

Example: 

Benteke is a peasant. Perfectly overrated enough for Liverpool.

— fez (@Ifaz_AFC) May 30, 2015

A-grade/B-grade

Dictionary definition: Grades that assigned to coursework and exams at education establishments.

Arsenal fan usage: Pretty self-explanatory this one. A-grade is top level, whereas B-grade is not. Unlike grading at school, B-grade is unacceptable. For example, some Arsenal fans argue that Manchester United paid an A-grade price for a B-grade player in Paul Pogba.

Examples:

https://twitter.com/ItsDecoMasta/status/638712229106421760

https://twitter.com/lionel_morgan/status/752936237674143746

Peak

Dictionary definition: The highest, strongest, or best point, value, or level of skill.

Arsenal fan usage: It is always ‘peak’ something, and used to highlight a perfect or extreme example of a known phenomenon or characteristic. Quite often, something is ‘peak-Arsenal’ or ‘peak-Spurs’.

Examples:

This brought a tear to my eye. Peak wengerball from the era of peak Wenger https://t.co/Obxy5H2jg7

— Gee Whiz (@divrajsingh) September 3, 2016

Ahh peak spurs fans, you drew tonight and monkey boys injured! #LOL

— Jamie Jacobs (@JamieJ_AFC) April 4, 2013

Disclaimers: Yes, supporters of other clubs may also use these words, and no, not all Arsenal fans speak like this.

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